


Escape from Fort Drakon

by CarnationGem (Akumeoi)



Series: Ciavran [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Escape, Fort Drakon, Gen, Return, Sneaking Around, tagging fics that aren't romances is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-11-09 05:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11097651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi/pseuds/CarnationGem
Summary: Warden F!Rogue!Tabris escapes from Fort Drakon and has fun making a melodramatic return to Arl Eaming's estate.





	Escape from Fort Drakon

When the doors to Fort Drakon opened before her with a creak of their oaky hinges, Ciara felt her heart leap in her chest. Quickly suppressing a grin, she let the two recruits she was following lead her into the city. As they reached an area she knew, near the river, she hung back behind them until she could slip out of sight down a back alley. If they came back to look for her, she did not know. Now all she had to do was make her way through the city and back to the Arl’s estate, and she’d be home free.

It was somewhat difficult to keep from running through the city like a madwoman, thanks to the adrenaline rush she’d gotten from escaping, but Ciara managed to maintain her “guard” persona all the way up to the Arl’s doorway. There, when she was stopped by some of the Arl’s actual guards, all she had to do was mumble about a message and she was waved right on through to the Arl’s estate.

Inside, Wynne was not at her normal post in the hallway. Ciara didn’t want to deviate from character by inspecting the other rooms to see where everyone else was, as there were still servants about who might question her and ruin the surprise. So she made a beeline up the stairs and into the Arl’s study, where she found her entire party assembled. Well, excluding Barkspawn and Oghren, who was probably too drunk to attend. But including Riordan, the Grey Warden she had rescued from yet another dungeon just a day earlier.

“We have to go after her. We can’t just leave her there!” Alistair was saying, sounding agitated.

“Be patient, Alistair. We do not want to cause a civil war. Let us see if negotiations will get the Warden released,” the Arl replied, though he looked strained.

“We’re already in a civil war,” Alistair said in exasperation.

“Have a little faith, Alistair. I’m sure the Arl’s men will get her released soon,” Leliana said.

 _Hah! Much good they did me_ , Ciara thought.

Looking around the room, she saw expressions of concern and tempered anger on every face. It was most gratifying to see, and Ciara couldn’t recall the last time she’d had as much fun. This whole series of events seemed more like something out of her young rogue days sneaking out of the alienage rather than one of the serious missions she’d been going on since joining the Wardens.

Her eye fell on Zevran, and she noted that her love was being unusually quiet. Normally in discussions such as this, he would put in sarcastic comments at every suggestion. But not today. Could it be that he was actually concerned about her?

She snickered inwardly.

But it was time to announce her presence. Sooner or later someone would notice her, and she wanted to indulge her theatrical side just a moment more.

“A-hem,” she coughed. The Arl looked up and saw her in the doorway, and everyone else turned towards her. Undoubtedly recognising her armour as the uniform of the soldiers of Fort Drakon, the Arl immediately silenced the rest of the room with a wave of his hand.

“I see they have sent someone to negotiate,” he said, drawing himself up. “I hope you are ready to make a deal, Ser. If Lady Ciara is not released to us soon, I’m afraid that I will have to take strong actions on her behalf.”

The hostility radiating from him and everyone else in the room was palpable. 

Ciara hooked two fingers under her helmet and pulled it off, shaking her hair so that it fell back into place.

“And here I thought you’d be happy to see me,” she said, her voice heavy with mock disappointment.

Someone gasped. Alistair took a step towards her, and Ciara was gratified to see that Zevran half-rose from his chair before catching himself and sitting back down again.

“You - you - you got out. You did that. How did you do that?” Alistair stuttered.

Dumping the helmet on the Arl’s desk, Ciara said, “Well, you lot were taking too long. So I just let myself out of my cell and escaped.”

“I told you we should’ve gone after her,” Alistair muttered.

“Ah, but seems our Lady Warden didn’t require assistance after all,” Zevran said. “No doubt she seduced the guards with her incredible beauty and then stole their keys. That is the traditional prison-escaping method, I believe.” He seemed to be composed now, but he was grinning. When Ciara caught his eyes, the smile deepened, though he probably wasn’t aware of it.

“Well _I_ never said she needed to be rescued,” Morrigan said, looking utterly bored.

“At least someone had some faith in me,” Ciara said, and Morrigan coughed.

“Look here, it’s not like anyone else has ever gotten out of that place,” Alistair said indignantly.

“Ciara, I’m so glad you’re safe,” Leliana interrupted. “You are alright, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Ciara said, beginning to unbuckle her stolen gauntlets, which had been chafing a little bit. “They didn’t torture me, if that’s what you’re asking. You all did get the Queen out of that mess back at Arl Howe’s, right?”

She looked sternly at Leliana, Zevran, and Wynne, her special stealth party. They were the ones who had accompanied her to that disaster of a mission.

“Don’t worry. Of course we did,” Wynne said soothingly.

“Excellent. Well, she had better be worth it,” Ciara said. She didn’t trust Queen Anora as far as she could throw her, though she didn’t consider the mission a waste in the slightest. Not after having rescued all those nobles in the dungeons, not to mention this fabulous stealth mission and triumphant return.

“I’m sure she will be,” the Arl cut in smoothly. “And now that you’re back, we can talk about her and how we might go about addressing the Landsmeet together.”

Ciara sighed. _Cut me a break, Eamon_ , she thought, putting the gauntlets on the desk next to the helmet with a clatter.

“Back to business so soon?”

He nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

_Well, I guess it couldn’t last forever._

“Alright,” Ciara said. “Tell me what we have to do.”


End file.
